


Til the Light Goes Out

by Apharine



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Age Difference, F/M, Flirting, Galar-chihou | Galar Region (Pokemon), Mutual Pining, Nonbinary Character, Slow Burn, and with their past trauma, mysterious pokemon terrorizes the galar region and two people fall in love while dealing with it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27599861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apharine/pseuds/Apharine
Summary: Kana's on the cusp of having everything she's ever wanted and worked for, including the title of Grand Champion of the biggest professional bike race in the Galar Region.  But when an unknown, devastating threat emerges in the Wild Area itself, the question of whether the race will go on - or whether it's even safe to train - puts all of Kana's dreams at risk of never coming true.   Instead, circumstances push her towards Kabu, who, as a Gym Leader, is working around the clock to keep Motostoke safe.  When the two of them end up sucked into a dangerous, inter-regional plot regarding Galar's Power Spots, Kana and Kabu are surprised to find a real connection blossoming between them -  and even more surprised to find that they may be all that stands between Galar and destruction.
Relationships: Kabu/Original Female Character, Kabu/Original Pokemon Trainer(s)
Comments: 47
Kudos: 25





	1. Introductions

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! If you're here, you may very well already be familiar with my OC, Kana. If you're not, please feel free to check her out by either hopping over on my Twitter, where I go by apharine, or onto my Toyhouse page for her here: https://toyhou.se/8277935.kana  
> Anyway, this is the start of her official story! Very excited to finally have this up and running.  
> On another note, if you follow me for Kabu content and are wondering if We Rise and Fall is still going to update now that I'm starting another Kabu story, the answer is yes! I may update slower than usual because of commissions and the multiple projects that I have going on, but I'll be finishing both projects 100%.  
> As always, thank you to everyone who reads this, and kudos and comments are very, very appreciated!

Running into famous people in the Wild Area isn’t exactly uncommon.

The area is huge, to be sure, but it’s popular for every form of recreation, from camping and swimming to kayaking and biking. But perhaps most of all, it’s popular for Pokemon training, which brings quite a few of the big names of the Galar Region out. Kana, for her part, has run into her share of recognizable faces while training for the Rotom Rally. She’s seen Milo doing drills with his Gym Trainers, Piers and his little sister Marnie out for a sunrise walk, and, once, she’d even gotten to see the Champion of Galar, Leon, facing off with the Dragon Tamer, Raihan.

But what _is_ uncommon is running into the same famous person over and over again. And, of course, it’s Kana’s luck for that to be exactly what’s happening to her.

For the third time in a row, Motostoke’s Gym Leader, Kabu, is standing at the base of the stairs that lead in and out of the industrialized city - the very stairs that Kana is walking her bike down.

The absolutely irrational thought that maybe she should just wait on the stairs until he takes off on his daily run strikes Kana - but, a moment later, she realizes how ridiculous that sounds. He’s taking his time stretching, holding onto the great stone railing with one hand while he bends the knee of the other, catching his ankle with his hand. Besides, holding her Rotom Rally bike poised on the stairs is a tiring and awkward affair.

Kana takes a deep breath and continues guiding her bike down the stairs, hoping that her discomfort isn’t too clearly written across her face. Perhaps the pre-dawn grey light that blankets the earth will help to hide her anxiety.

“Morning,” Kabu says politely, turning to her a little as he hears the bike approaching.

“Morning,” Kana replies, and to appear just as polite, adds, “nice day out.” Their conversations thus far have been brief, which Kana hopes counts in her favor; she really isn’t interested in coming off as some sort of uber-fan or stalker. Although she’s sure Kabu is a perfectly nice man, and she does, of course, have respect for how well-known and well-regarded he is, he always comes across a little too stern and reserved for her.

And besides, Pokemon battling isn’t really her thing, anyway. Not as a spectator or as a Trainer.

“It is,” Kabu agrees, setting the leg he’d been stretching down. Then, eyeing Kana’s bike, he adds, “Would you like any help with that?”

“No,” Kana grunts, lifting it the last couple steps and setting it down gently on the grass. “Thanks, but I do this pretty often, so…”

“Right,” Kabu says, a small smile coming to his lips. “This is, what, the third day in a row we’ve run into each other here?”

Kana’s stomach drops out; he’s as aware of the sudden frequency of their meetings as she is.

“Uh, yeah, I guess it is,” Kana says, though she really _knows_ it is. She leans her bike against her body as she clips her helmet on underneath her chin, and Kabu shifts his weight, stretching his other leg. Then, a bit awkwardly, she adds, “Sorry if I’m intruding on your time.”

Kabu turns to her, eyebrows raised mildly in surprise.

“No - I think I’m the one intruding on yours. I’ve had to start my runs about an hour earlier because of my Gym Trainers’ schedules this year,” he explains. “I hope I’m not bothering you -”

“Oh, no, of course not, you’re fine,” Kana says quickly, swinging one leg over her bike, then blurts, “I just don’t want you to think I’m, like, stalking you or something.” Kabu’s eyebrows raise even further, and she mentally kicks herself. Why had she said that? It came out… _weird_. “I, uh, I’m sure that being as famous as you are can mean there are some really obsessed fans, and all, so…”

Kabu gives a small chuckle at this, setting the leg he’d been stretching down.

“It can,” he agrees. “But don’t worry - I’m completely aware that Rotom Rally Racers have to train for their sport, just like I have to train for mine. I’m really not worried about you, Kana.”

Kana goes to put her foot on her pedal and almost misses.

“Wait, you know who I am?” She blurts. Kabu’s lips quirk upwards with just a bit more amusement than before.

“You’re the top Rotom Rally Racer in Motostoke. Of course I know who you are,” he says, his hands finding the red and white towel around his neck and adjusting it a little. “I’ve got my eye on you to be the first woman to win the Wild Area Open in a couple weeks, you know. Actually, from the sounds of it, a lot of people do.”

Kana feels her cheeks heat up intensely at this unexpected proclamation. Kabu, arguably _the_ most well-known person in all of Motostoke, is apparently _her_ fan.

She may not be big into Pokemon battles, or the whole Gym Leader thing, but she still knows that this is an incredibly big deal.

“Well,” Kana says, a nervous laugh bubbling out of her throat. “Thank you. I really appreciate your support! I’ll definitely do my best at the Open.”

Kabu nods and bobs on his toes a moment.

“I’m sure you’ll hustle - both in training, and in the race itself! But now, it’s time for me to hustle and start this run,” he says, checking the watch on his hand (which, Kana is pretty sure, also doubles as a Dynamax Band). He then glances up and gives her an amicable smile, raising one hand in farewell. “Have a nice ride. See you.”

“Yeah - see you,” Kana calls, waving farewell as Kabu starts jogging off. 

As the man’s form recedes, she lets out a breath she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding, shifting herself so that she’s balanced in the saddle. All things considered, that really hadn’t gone as poorly as she’d imagined it could.

But within thirty seconds, she’s back to cursing the awkwardness of the whole situation as she pedals by Kabu. She doesn’t say anything, and neither does he, though his grey eyes meet hers for just a moment.

Should she have waved? Should she have spoken up, made some sort of clever quip to keep things lighthearted and not awkward?

And, most of all, was this going to become an everyday thing?

* * *

As usual, the worries of the day fade away when Kana rides. 

“Gizmo,” she says, calling to her Rotom. “What’s our pace so far?”

“We’re cruising at 38 kilometers an hour right now, and averaging 36 with my Supercharges factored in,” Gizmo reports back readily.

“Without?” Kana asks, already beginning to pedal faster and turn up the gear on her bike. Her pace is good, by any standard - but _good_ didn’t win races. Over 40 won races.

“Without…” Gizmo is silent for a moment as he does the computation. “Thirty three.”

“Shit,” Kana breathes, and doubles down despite the screaming in her quads and the slight hill she’s begun to climb. Gizmo kicks in with a Supercharge, propelling the bike to the crest of the hill quickly and saving Kana’s legs from the worst of the exertion.

The view at the top is sweeping and magnificent - she can see both Lake Milochs, glittering like pink jewels under the first rays of the sun, and in the distance, the Giant’s Seat rises, silhouetted a dark red with heavy, jagged shadows. Not so far from her, a pack of Corvisquire ascend into the air, climbing higher and higher into the clear sky. As exhausting as Kana’s training routine is, she honestly can’t imagine living a life where she works any other job. A life where she doesn’t get to drink in the beauty of the Wild Area, challenge nature itself by pushing her body to its limits, breathe the fresh air in all seasons, and go home exhausted but satisfied -

She can’t imagine it.

As she starts her descent down the opposite side of the hill, a tremendous booming noise echoes across the lakes. It’s so loud, it almost seems like thunder, for a moment, but then Kana remembers that the sky above her is clear. Not a rain cloud in sight.

Must be a Dynamax Den that someone disturbed, somewhere.

Another boom, this one as loud as the first, rumbles across the miles and miles of wilderness, and Kana swears she feels the very ground beneath her feet shake just a little. This time, Kana wonders if it’s maybe an earthquake - they’re uncommon in Galar, but not logistically impossible. But the way that the very air itself begins to crackle with an almost electric feel, Kana again falls back on her assumption of a Dynamax Pokemon. She must be feeling the Galar Particles in the air.

Though - she’d felt something similar once, long ago…

Kana brushes aside the memory; the very idea is impossible. Still, Arceus have mercy on whoever disturbed something _that_ powerful, she thinks to herself, then glances around, trying to figure out where it’s coming from while she still has a bit of a view. But her vantage point is fading fast, and she can’t find the pillar of Galar Particles climbing into the sky, marking the spot where the enormous Pokemon was beginning its tirade.

Well, she figures, if she comes anywhere close to it on her ride, she should be able to notice from quite a ways off. Dynamaxed Pokemon can do quite a lot of damage to their surrounding environment, and with their size, they aren’t exactly easy to miss, either.

Kana turns her attention back to the road, and continues to pedal. 

Over 40. That’s all she needs. She’s so close, and now is the time to push herself until that number becomes easy to attain.

* * *

By the time Kana makes it back to Motostoke, she’s so exhausted she has to actually walk her bike through the streets. Usually a slow cool-down ride would be in order, but today, at least, she truly has nothing left to give. 

In the end, she’d managed to up her average pace to 39 km/h, with Gizmo’s Supercharges. The shiny Rotom flies around her head as they walk through the enormous gate separating the city from the Wild Area, and hovers over her shoulder as she begins to make her way down the cobblestone streets.

There’s a lot of nice things about living in Motostoke, overall, with the redstone architecture certainly being one of them. The buildings seem to radiate warmth as the morning sun hits them, and despite her fatigue, Kana can’t help but feel cozy, like she’s at home.

She’d had that feeling about Motostoke ever since her first visit, even though the Galarian city was so different from her home in Goldenrod City, way over in Johto. Moving across regions had been a big undertaking, but it had improved her Rotom Rally career significantly. The sport was just bigger in Galar, and more sponsors were willing to work with her here than back home - with Macro Cosmos most notable among them.

Kana tries to ignore the exhaustion in her legs as she approaches the shopping district, beginning to have to weave her bike in and out among the early-morning crowds. As she limps on, she notices the crowd beginning to become unusually dense, and when she pauses on the edge of an enormous throng of people, she finally realizes why.

Up on one of the big screens above the shops, which usually serve as electronic billboards, a breaking news alert is playing, and everyone has gathered around to watch it.

“Abnormal booming sounds heard across the majority of the entire Wild Area were reported by several people as of this morning,” Gabby Applebee, the main female host of The Early Edition, is saying. If Kana’s attention wasn’t captured earlier, it is now. “It’s unknown whether these booming noises were associated with the vicious attack that left three people critically injured. They have been airlifted by Corviknight Taxi to Motostoke’s Pokemon Center, where they are currently listed as in stable condition.”

“Do you think it was a Dynamax Pokemon?” A woman just in front of Kana says, turning to a man next to her.

“I’m not sure, hon,” her partner replies. “They do seem to have been getting more and more aggressive lately, wouldn’t you say?”

“Definitely,” the woman agrees.

Around the crowd, a similar murmur of concern and unrest sweeps up.

“This just in - joining us now, from the scene of the attack just off North Lake Miloch, is my fellow Early Edition host, Ty,” Gabby says, pressing one hand to her headset. “Ty, we’re switching it over to you, okay?”

The screen flashes and focuses in on a man’s face.

“Gabby, this is Ty with the Early Edition, reporting to you live from the banks of North Lake Miloch, where a vicious attack from an unknown Pokemon - or Pokemon-like creature - has left three people critically injured. Joining me here today is Motostoke’s Gym Leader Kabu, who was apparently not only an eyewitness to the attacks, but also played a significant role in subduing the beast.”

The camera pans over, and Kabu joins the shot.

He looks like hell.

Kana sucks in a quick breath, startled by how striking the difference is between him now and him as she’d seen him just that morning. Only a little more than an hour and a half ago, he’d been smiling, clean-faced, easily stretching.

Now, he’s covered in what looks like dirt and mud and possibly soot, and there’s a thick bandage wound around his left hand. His hair is sticking up at all angles, and it looks like there’s a cut just above his eyebrow that’s still bleeding rather profusely.

Another murmur sweeps through the crowd at this sight; apparently, everyone else is just as unnerved at seeing one of Galar’s top Trainers brought to this state as Kana is.

“Mr. Kabu, were you able to confirm what you were fighting against?” Ty asks.

“I was not,” Kabu says, and all the ease, the levity, in his voice that Kana had heard this morning is gone. His face is tight and terse as he speaks, his grey eyes steely. “My opponent was outstandingly aggressive and agile, and not Dynamaxed, which made it significantly more difficult to identify.”

“What kind of attacks was it using against you?” Ty presses. Kabu grimaces.

“Electric-type,” he says, and Kana swallows hard. That would explain the electric buzzing she’d felt through the air. Around her, more and more people are joining the crowd, filtering in to fill in empty spaces and listen to the broadcast. “Though - I strongly suspect that they were Electric and Dark-Type at once. There was something very unusual about its moves.”

“For the non-Trainers among us out there, moves have not been known to be capable of having more than one Type at a time, is that correct, Mr. Kabu?” Ty presses.

“Correct,” Kabu replies shortly.

“Then how is it possible -” Ty starts, but Kabu holds up one hand.

“I’m not sure. But I stand by what I said earlier. I believe that there was a second, Dark-type element to these attacks.”

A moment of silence passes, but Ty recovers quickly, ever the professional.

“And, for everyone tuning in just now, I’d like to emphasize that these attacks were incredibly powerful,” Ty says, and the camera sweeps across the surrounding area. The landscape is absolutely devastated, with trees razed to the ground, all their leaves and bark incinerated into blackened, curled coals. The lush, green grass is gone, replaced only by scorch marks - though it’s impossible to tell if they’re from Kabu’s fire or the attacking creature’s electricity. “Gym Leader Kabu, what would you tell the concerned citizens of Motostoke - and Galar as a whole - about this attack?”

The camera pans back to Kabu, and his lips set in a firmer line than before, his burning resolve flickering behind his eyes.

“I would tell all citizens to remain calm and to report any abnormal sightings or noises in the Wild Area to the police immediately. I am certain the relevant authorities will get to the bottom of this with all haste. But most of all,” he says, his voice dropping. “I would caution ambitious Trainers _not_ to go seeking out an encounter with this Pokemon. Three people have been seriously injured today, and this Pokemon nearly took out much of my team, as well. We do not need more injuries - or, Arceus forbid, deaths. Battling this Pokemon is _not_ the way to test your skills. Come challenge me or one of my colleagues in the Gym Challenge instead. Win or lose, we’ll give you a good fight - that I can guarantee.”

"If this battle zone is anything to go by, a face-off with you certainly would be a challenge!” Ty says, and the cameraperson again pans back over the scarred landscape. “Wise words that we hope everyone will heed. Thank you for your time, Mr. Kabu,” Ty says; the camera once again returns to the Gym Leader, who looks suddenly very tired.

And, if Kana’s honest with herself, he looks fragile, too. He’s not a particularly big man to start with, but with the way his shoulders slump just a little and his expression has fallen, it’s obvious that he’s only one human being who has given it his all to defend Motostoke - and Galar.

Kana feels a sudden pang of pity for the man. She’s sure he won’t be going out on any runs for a while, given the condition he’s in, but the next time she sees him, she’ll be just a little more friendly and make sure to check in on him.

“Gabby, back to you,” Ty says, and Kana turns, beginning to guide her bike - and Gizmo - home.


	2. Second Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who's read this so far - and especially to everyone who's left kudos or comments! I really appreciate your kindness, and hope you keep enjoying this little story <3 
> 
> Also fun fact, I thought I'd lost 9k words of this story when I went and opened it tonight. I guess I didn't save before my computer did an update >_< thank goodness my computer made an automatic backup, though! Remember to save often, everyone ;-;

Going back out in the Wild Area makes Kana more than a little uneasy, but a thorough investigation by multiple Galarian city’s police forces had turned up nothing concerning yesterday. 

“Citizens are urged to use caution, but encouraged not to be afraid,” the Motostoke Police Chief had said on an exclusive interview at 6PM, filmed live for the Channel Five News by one of Kana’s roommates, Onyx.

Her other roommate, Missy, had been in Hulbury for a photo shoot, but had talked to Kana about things later that night.

“You can’t just stop now,” she’d insisted. “You’re closer than ever to your dream, and by all indications, what happened was some sort of freak thing.”

It had been exactly what Kana had wanted to hear - at the time. But now, walking her bike through the streets of Motostoke, her heart is pounding anxiously.

Maybe it’s the way that today’s walk feels incredibly similar to yesterday’s; the air is still, and the cobblestone of the streets and redstone of the buildings all look grey in the crepuscular pre-dawn light. The old-fashioned gas streetlights burn steadily with not even the slightest flicker to them, casting a small orange radius of light on the ground below. It feels like if Kana breathes too deeply, she’ll disturb this silence, ruin the tentative thread of peace that Motostoke is hanging by.

Gizmo sits, silently, on her shoulder, his electricity sending gentle tingles into her body. It’s soothing, in a sense, but it almost prickles the hair on the back of Kana’s neck, making her just a little more on edge as she finally walks under the enormous stone gateway to the Wild Area. Once she gets down the stairs and starts riding, though, her anxiety will hopefully melt away, leaving only the passion she feels for racing behind.

To Kana’s surprise, there’s a figure at the bottom of the stairs, standing on one leg and stretching the other. Though the person is still far away, and the dim light doesn’t do her any favors, she could swear it’s Kabu.

That’s impossible, she tells herself, beginning to walk down the stairs, carrying her bike as she goes. He’d suffered that head wound - surely, he was going to be out of commission for a few days, if not a little longer.

But, as she pads down the steps, the figure turns, hearing her footfalls - not to mention the occasional clacking of her bike as the wheels spin aimlessly in the air. Within a couple steps, she’s close enough to make out the person’s features clearly, and she sucks in a quick breath, setting her bike down on the step below in surprise.

“Kabu?!” She exclaims. With those sharp features and high cheekbones, though, she knows it’s him, even in the dim light. 

“Morning, Kana,” he says politely, raising his free hand in greeting. Kana realizes she’s frozen in place from the shock of seeing him, and begins to hurry down the last few steps, hoisting her bike up into her arms once more.

“Morning,” she grunts, finally stepping onto grass and setting her bike down. She leans it against herself and, for a moment, doesn’t know what to say. All she can do is take in the Gym Leader before her for a moment; the large dressing that had been wrapped around his forehead has been replaced with a couple smaller bandages, but otherwise, he looks exactly as he did yesterday morning - eager and ready for his morning workout. “Kabu,” she starts, then pauses.

There’s a million things she wants to ask - what was that creature like? How had he managed to keep all three of the people attacked by it safe during their battle? Should he really be here right now, with that head wound?

But all of those things seem like they’d be too much to ask, and Kabu is looking at her expectantly.

Instead, what comes out of her mouth is a quiet,

“Are you okay?”

Kabu’s eyebrows raise a little at her words, and his mouth opens, as if he’s going to speak, then closes.

“You’re….actually the first person to ask me that, you know,” he says, clearly somewhat taken aback. Then, he chuckles, shaking his head and switching the leg he’s stretching. “I’m fine, though. Besides a little bit of a headache, I suppose,” he adds, touching one of his bandages lightly with his free hand. 

The easy smile on his face, the way he carries himself today - it projects self-confidence, a comfortability and strength in who he is. Kana hasn’t watched many of his battles, but from the little she’s seen, she can nonetheless recognize it as the same confidence and grace that he carries with himself onto the battlefield.

It’s reassuring to see, in a way, but it’s also striking how different he looks compared to his interview yesterday, where he’d seemed, for just a moment, small, hurt, and fragile - one man and one man alone against a monstrous unknown enemy.

“I’m glad you’re all right,” Kana says, and she’s surprised to find she really means it. What he’d done yesterday was admirable, after all, and only serves to reinforce her opinion of Kabu as a good man. “I was worried you wouldn’t be, since you looked pretty rough in that interview yesterday.”

Kabu’s eyebrows raise higher still at this, and an amused smile pulls at his lips.

“Oh?” He asks, and Kana kicks herself mentally.

Arceus, why is she so good at putting her foot in her mouth around this man?

“I - I mean, anyone would be a mess, after a battle like that,” she stammers. “So please don’t take any offense - I definitely didn’t mean it like that!” Kabu’s eyes sparkle in amusement as she talks, and Kana sighs, deflating. She’s sure her face is turning bright red, and she’s sure, also, that Kabu’s opinion of her is lowering by the minute. “I was just worried for you, is all,” she finally says, looking away from Kabu’s grey eyes.

“Don’t worry, Kana,” Kabu says kindly, ending the stretch and setting his leg down. Kana’s eyes return to his, encouraged by the gentleness in his voice. To her surprise, his expression is soft and kind, no longer somewhat teasing. “I know what you meant. And it’s kind of you to worry for me, though you really don’t have to - I can hold my own, you know,” he says.

“Right,” Kana says, feeling her cheeks heat up more. She hadn’t meant to imply that Kabu was somehow incapable of defending himself when he was arguably one of the top ten most powerful men in the entire Region. “I know you can hold your own. They don’t make just anybody a Gym Leader, after all.”

“No,” Kabu murmurs, his grey eyes warm yet unfathomable. “They don’t.” Then, to Kana’s surprise, he reaches out, his fingers brushing against her elbow. “It’s kind of you to worry for me, though - and kinder still for you to check in on me today. Thank you for that.”

“Oh,” Kana says, taken aback by his words. “You’re welcome. And I really am glad you’re okay.” Kabu lets his hand drop, a small smile pulling at his lips. The wind stirs for the first time all morning, ruffling Kabu’s dark grey hair in a way that makes him seem almost boyish. Kana’s speechless for a moment; is this really the same man whose reputation was built on being a force of nature on the battlefield, ultimately burning many Gym Challenger’s dreams of Championship down? The image is hard to reconcile with the polite morning jogger in front of her.

“I am okay,” Kabu reiterates, then smiles gently at her once more. “And I’m glad you are, too. I was worried about _you_ , you know,” he admits, both of his hands drifting to hold onto the little sweat towel around his neck.

“Me?” Kana asks, again taken aback.

“You. We left Motostoke at the same time. I was worried that Pokemon - whatever it was - had found you, first,” he explains.

“No, no, I was fine,” Kana says quickly to reassure the man. “I don’t think I came near it at all. The only thing I felt was a strange charge in the air, you know? Similar to what you feel when you’re really close to a Dynamax Den - but different.”

Kabu nods.

“I know what you mean. I thought it felt different than usual, too. Truthfully, everything about that encounter was…different, for lack of a better word,” he sighs, his eyes drifting away to scan the horizon, as if searching for signs of that monster being out there still. 

“It sounds it,” Kana admits, and this time, she reaches up, touching his elbow lightly in much the way he’d touched hers. Kabu turns back to her at the contact, another small smile written across his lips and the wind ruffling his hair again.

In the growing golden glow of dawn, he actually looks quite handsome.

“Well,” Kana says, her confidence suddenly failing her. She pulls her hand away, dropping her eyes to her bike and then anxiously checking the time on her watch. It’s five minutes past when she’d planned to start riding, already.

“Well,” Kabu says, echoing her and glancing at his watch, too. “We’d better get out there and get training, I suppose.”

“Guess so,” Kana agrees, swinging herself up onto the seat of her bike. Gizmo flies in to possess it, and the whole thing comes alive, crackling with electricity.

“Be careful out there,” Kabu says suddenly, and Kana turns over her shoulder to look at him, unable to resist smiling at the Gym Leader.

It’s awfully kind of him to be worried about her. He really does seem to be a good man - the kind of man who wants to look out for everyone.

The kind of man who would jump in to a heated battle, risking his life to protect three total strangers.

“I will,” Kana says. “You, too, Kabu. Have a good workout.”

“Thanks,” he smiles, then raises one hand in farewell as he begins to jog away.

Kana waves at him, then takes off pedaling.

* * *

Kana’s on edge the entire time she’s out and about, just waiting for some undefined literal monster to jump out of the shadows and attack her with searing Electric- and Dark-type moves. But the Wild Area is brilliantly sunny and peaceful; her usual route shows no signs of any disturbance, other than the wind, which now rustles the long, verdant grass rather than Kabu’s hair.

Though, as Kana rides on, she realizes that all is not as it has seemed in the Wild Area. Specific locations are positively crawling with Rangers and police officers. Kana spies three Corviknight taxis emblazoned with the Hammerlocke Police Department logo by West Lake Axewell, plus another two bearing Motostoke’s logo a little later on. By the time she’s more than halfway around the Lake, she’s seen some patrols from Turffield, Hulbury, and even one with the Interpol logo on it. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to why they’ve congregated around such specific areas, but Kana figures there may be something there she can’t see - mysterious tracks, tufts of hair, perhaps. Anything that indicated that the super-aggressive monster had been there before.

As Gizmo supercharges them up a hill and away from the Interpol vehicle, Kana can’t help but feel a little reassured to see how seriously the entire affair is being taken. 

Still, Kana rides her heart out, eager to be done with this portion of the day’s training. Though it’s good to see the authorities out and about, it’s also a solemn reminder of just how grim the entire affair is. The memory of the ground in a wide swath around Kabu, burnt and scored beyond recognition, crosses her mind more than once.

If something were to happen to her out here, would she stand a chance? Though she knows Gizmo would do everything in his power to keep her safe, at the end of the day, he’s only one Rotom - and, furthermore, he hasn’t done any serious battle training in about ten years. Not since Kana had given up on her challenge of the Johto and Indigo Leagues. 

Not since she’d been attacked by an aggressive monster eerily similar in nature to the one that had attacked Kabu.

No, being out here is, ultimately, a terrible gamble, and with the kilometers upon kilometers she covers on each training ride, she knows there’s no guarantee that anyone would be able to find her or help her if she were to be attacked. The sooner she can get out of the Wild Area, the better.

Kana’s tempted to cut her loop short, but ultimately, she knows that each and every minute spent doing these long-distance rides matters. Still, she can’t help but feel an inordinate sense of relief upon completing her loop and riding back to the Motostoke stairs and gate.

“Gizmo,” she asks, barely able to get the syllables out as she lets her bike coast to a stop. “Pace?”

“Forty one,” Gizmo buzzes in response, dispossessing the bike and flying around Kana’s head in delight.

Kana laughs out loud in elation, then hops off her bike, propping it against the wall of the Motostoke steps. Once she’s sure it’ll stay, she throws herself on the ground, panting for air and gazing up at the brilliant blue morning sky.

Forty one…that’s a number that could win races.

“We’ll be at the Tour de Kalozz in no time,” Gizmo announces happily, hovering over Kana and waving his little electric arms.

Kana laughs and reaches up for Gizmo, rubbing his pointy head affectionately. The contact sends faint tingles into her hand, as usual, but the way Gizmo nuzzles into her hand makes it all worth it. Truthfully, she’s glad to see him so happy about his performance - though a small part of her is also telling her not to be too confident in their performance together just yet. Things could change - and the best assumption to make in the world of athletics is that all of one’s competitors are training at least as hard, if not harder, than you are.

But at the end of the day, the Tour de Kalos is Gizmo’s dream, and it doesn’t hurt to let him have a moment of pride and happiness in his work.

“Are you even tired?” Kana asks as she lets her arm fall to her side somewhat dramatically. “You’re flitting about like we didn’t just give it our all out there.”

“I’m exhauzzted…but I’m really proud of uzz, too,” Gizmo admits, his eyes sparkling. “Forty-one is the bezzt pace we’ve ever clocked! It’zz only fair to be exzzited!”

Kana laughs, and slowly begins to sit up.

“Fair enough, Giz. Listen, we’ve got one more cross-training session we’ve got to get in today, but maybe after, we could meet Missy and Onyx for some food at Pancham’s Pizzas? I think we deserve to celebrate with them, don’t you?” Kana smiles, and Gizmo raises his arms, going to crackle with excitement - except there’s not much left in him to crackle with.

“That zzoundz great! I’ll zzend them both a text in a moment,” he says, then smiles sheepishly. “But maybe we could get me recharged before then? Otherwizze, I’m not zzure I’ll have the energy to enjoy the time with you.”

“Giz,” Kana laughs, opening her arms wide to her Pokemon. Gizmo flies into her arms, his ghostly body becoming more corporeal as he settles down in her arms. “You know I’ve got you, little buddy.”

He hums in contentment at her words, and Kana flops back on the grass for just a moment.

With Gizmo in her arms, the thought of riding out in the Wild Area and risking his safety feels all the more anxiety-provoking to her. He’s her childhood best friend, her partner Pokemon for life. If anything happened to him -

If the monster from Kanto had resurfaced -

Kana sits up abruptly, still holding Gizmo close.

“Let’s get back to the apartment and get you charged up quickly,” she decides. “And then let’s get the rest of this day rolling.”

* * *

It’s mid-afternoon by the time that Kana, Onyx, and Missy are all able to align their schedules to grab a bite at Pancham’s Pizzas. 

“Can’t wait to zzee everyone!” Gizmo hums, buzzing through the air with as much energy as ever. The recharge had done his little ghost soul good, and Kana can’t help but smile at her best friend as she walks down the streets of Motostoke. On her head, Alva, her Joltik, chirps in eager agreement.

“Sounds like that makes three of us, then,” Kana laughs, reaching up to stroke the electric spider’s tiny head with one finger. Alva nuzzles into the touch, sending out a pleasant tingle of electricity in response.

Gizmo chats happily with Kana as they walk along the streets, which by now are bustling with activity. Truthfully, Kana’s relieved to see the city looking busy and alive; there had been something unnatural about the perfect stillness that had settled over Motostoke just that morning. Soon, Pancham’s Pizzas comes into sight, and Kana takes a deep breath, savoring the faint scent of her favorite pizza on the breeze.

This is gonna be the best meal she’s had in a while.

“Hey, hey, if it isn’t my favorite little Rotom Rally racer!” A familiar voice calls, and Kana turns around, just in time to be greeted by her Onyx’s arm being slung across her shoulders. “Fancy seeing you here,” her roommate-slash-best-friend teases, nudging her cheek playfully.

“Yeah, what a surprise,” Kana laughs, but ultimately leans into Onyx, putting an arm around his waist. She’d go for his shoulders if she could, but given that he’s nearly two whole heads taller than her, she’s learned to settle for what she can reach. “You excited for some good food?”

“As a matter of fact, I’m beyond excited,” Onyx says, flashing his usual grin at her. “But that’s partially because I’m bloody _starving._ ” He pulls away from her to open the door to the pizza joint, then ushers her and Gizmo inside, following close behind them.

“Welcome to Pancham’s!” The staff all chorus enthusiastically in their signature greeting. 

“Pan!” One of the aforementioned fighting bears exclaims, jumping onto the bar that separates the diner area from the kitchen and striking a pose.

“Hey Pancham,” Kana laughs, waving at the little mascot Pokemon. “And hey, everyone else.”

“Hey, we haven’t seen either of you in a little while,” one of the waitresses - Ros, their regular - smiles. “How have you two been?”

“Pretty good,” Onyx says with a familiar wave. “The last day has been insane, though, what with covering that whole Wild Area attack and all.”

“Oh, I can imagine you’ve been strung out on that. That’s scary stuff,” Ros says with a frown.

“Seems like they’ve got it sorted, for now,” Onyx says, then nudges Kana. “But on a brighter note, this little lady’s been training hard for the Wild Area Open.”

“I’ve heard!” Ros grins, brightening up and leaning forward on the bar for a moment. “Kana, when you win the whole thing, we’re gonna have to give you a big pizza party on the house!” Behind Ros, a giant Pangoro leans out from the kitchen, nodding and giving a thumbs up. “See?” Ros laughs. “Boss even approves.”

“It’s not a when I win though,” Kana protests, smiling despite the fact that her face is heating up. “It’s definitely an if. The competition is gonna be stiffer than ever this year, and I’m only just starting to pull in the times that I want to see.”

“Which will just make it all the more satisfying when you win, right?” Ros teases, sending a wink her way. “Everyone in Motostoke is behind you, Kana - you’ve got this! Anyway, are you two expecting Missy? You can seat yourselves now, or wait for her, if you’d rather.”

“Yeah, we are expecting Missy,” Onyx says, holding his Rotom Phone in one big hand. “And she just texted to say she’s bringing some friends, too. Mind if we take one of the bigger tables?”

“That’s fine,” Ros nods. “I’ll be by in a minute to get you all your drinks.”

“Thanks,” Onyx, Kana, and Gizmo all chime in unison, then begin to drift into the diner to find their seats. 

“Wonder who Missy’s bringing?” Onyx muses aloud.

“Probably Nessa,” Kana says, unable to stop her lips from curling up into a smile. “They’ve been getting really close, lately.”

“Must be all those photo shoots together,” Onyx says, heading towards a rectangular table in the back that seats six. “Think this’ll work?”

“Should be fine. If Missy brings _that_ much more company, we can always pick a bigger table,” Kana observes. 

“True enough,” Onyx chuckles at her words, pulling out a seat for himself and sitting down; Kana picks the seat next to him, at the end of the table abutting the wall.

“Perzonally, I find thizz table very comfy,” Gizmo announces, settling his phone form on the table and leaning against the wall for support.

“You would, Giz,” Kana laughs, rubbing his head affectionately. In her hair, Alva squeaks, and Kana raises one finger to her, helping the little Joltik down to the table to sit next to Gizmo. The tiny spider nestles into her fellow Electric-type Pokemon, making cute little chitters of happiness; Kana can’t help but smile at the sight. 

Across the diner, the familiar “Welcome to Pancham’s!” call resounds, and Onyx and Kana both turn to the door expectantly. 

“Looks like Missy’s here,” Onyx says, nodding at the tall woman with long lavender hair who walks through the door.

“And she did bring Nessa,” Kana says, smiling knowingly; Missy, she’s pretty sure, has a crush on her fellow model extraordinaire. Then, two more figures walk through the door after the girls, and Kana’s heart nearly stops, because with Nessa are none other than her fellow Gym Leaders, Milo and Kabu.

What are the odds?


	3. Pancham's Pizzas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look at me, being a little bit better about update schedule! Two weeks this time....soon I'm hoping to be on a weekly update schedule, though I'm also hoping to start to do chapter cover art as we go, too. Huge thank you to everyone who's been reading, and especially to anyone leaving comments or kudos - you guys give me the courage to keep writing my first ever story about my own OC ;_; <3
> 
> Anyway - I hope everyone had a very merry and wonderful Christmas!! I've been sitting on this chapter for a few days, to be honest, but didn't want to post right before the holidays...so here it is instead as a post holiday treat hehe :3

Onyx and Kana stand as Missy approaches with the trio of Gym Leaders, intent on greeting everyone properly. Kana’s heart does a couple flips as the group approaches; how unlikely is it that she’d run into Kabu twice in one day? 

Would he think this was weird?

“Hey, you two,” Missy smiles, pulling both Onyx and Kana into a group hug. “Heard _someone_ had a pretty excellent time on her training ride today - the kind of time that might win a certain race.”

“We did,” Gizmo says, circling the air around the trio of friends.

“And _I_ heard _someone_ just had a photoshoot for the very prestigious Galar Magazine.” Kana forces herself to focus on her friends and not the three Gym Leaders behind her, holding both her friends tight for a moment before letting go.

“Yeah, I did. But more on that later,” Missy says, turning to Nessa and pulling her forward. “I know I’ve introduced you both to Nessa once before, but it was brief, so - Nessa, these are my best friends, Kana and Onyx. Oh, and Kana’s Rotom, Gizmo, of course.”

“A pleasure to meet you both again,” Nessa says warmly, extending her hand to each of them in turn.

“The pleasure is ours,” Kana says, admittedly feeling a little starstruck by the two incredibly gorgeous dark-skinned women before her - even if she lives with one of them.

“And these are Nessa’s friends and fellow Gym Leaders - Milo and Kabu,” Missy says, stepping aside so the two men can come forward. “Milo, Kabu, meet Onyx, Kana, and Gizmo.” 

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Milo smiles, shaking each of their hands in turn, including one of Gizmo’s little phone arms, which he handles very delicately. “I’m a bit hopeless with names at first, so forgive me if it takes a moment to learn all of yours.”

“It’s no worry,” Onyx says easily. 

“We’ll be happy to remind you until you’ve got it,” Gizmo agrees, floating around Kana’s head.

“Onyx, you said?” Kabu asks, stepping forward to shake his hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m not usually brilliant with names, either, but I suppose I’ve got a bit of an easier job of things, because I already know Kana. And Gizmo, for that matter.” He smiles at Kana’s Rotom, then moves over to her, extending his hand. Kana takes it, surprised by how warm he is to the touch. “Always a pleasure,” he says evenly.

If he does find anything about this unusual, he doesn’t say anything. Kana lets out a breath she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding.

“How was your run?” Kana asks.

“It was excellent. I trust your bike ride was, as well?” Kabu replies, letting go of her hand.

“Wait, wait, wait, hold up. You two know each other?” Nessa interjects.

“We do,” Kabu laughs. “We’re both early-morning training enthusiasts, as it turns out. I’ve been running into Kana nearly daily since my schedule changed for the Gym Challenge season.” 

As Kabu speaks, he begins to drift towards the table, and soon, everyone follows suit, taking their seats. Kana reclaims her spot against the wall, and Gizmo flits through the air, settling down next to Alva in his designated spot once more.

“Anyway,” Kabu continues, his eyes finding Kana’s again as he sits across the table from her. The small bandages on his forehead, Kana can’t help but notice, are still there, though he’s let some of his dark hair fall forward to hide it. “Your bike ride went well?” He repeats, clearly intent on giving Kana a chance to answer his earlier question.

“Yeah - it was great, actually,” Kana admits, feeling a slight blush come to her cheeks. “I put in a time that I was really happy with.”

“The kind of time that could win the Wild Area Open!” Gizmo says happily.

Kana feels her blush deepen further at her Rotom’s slight bragging - but to her relief, the trio of Gym Leaders all smile and laugh good-naturedly at Gizmo’s words.

“Is that right?” Kabu asks.

“Well - the key word there is _could_ win,” Kana points out. For all she knows, her opponents are training harder than she is.

“So wait, is Gizmo the Rotom you race with?” Milo asks, setting his forearms on the table and leaning forward.

“Yeah, he is,” Kana smiles, reaching over to rub Gizmo’s head affectionately. “He’s a really hard worker.”

“Wow - it’s not every day I get to meet the fastest Rotom in all of Galar,” Milo says, a cheery smile crossing his features.

“Ah - I’m not officially the fazztezt yet,” Giz pipes up. “I’ve gotta earn that title before you can call me that!”

“Fair enough,” Milo agrees with a good-natured chuckle.

“Giz, you sound an awful lot like someone I know…except for them they’re actually vying for the title of Galar’s Top Model,” Missy says pointedly, sending a knowing smile at Nessa, who smiles and rolls her eyes.

“Missy, just because you think I’ve got it in the bag -” she begins.

“Because you _do_ ,” Missy interjects.

“You don’t know that until it’s official,” the Water-type Gym Leader tries to protest.

“So when is it going to be official, then?” Kabu asks, leaning back in his seat to be able to see Nessa better, and as easily as that, the conversation turns to the two models’ careers. Truthfully, Kana’s a little relieved. Celebrating her time with Missy and Onyx was one thing; talking it up to three of Galar’s most prominent figures is another beast entirely. If she talked a big game and then lost in the actual competition -

Well, Kana’s not sure how she could face any of them again. Her morning meetings with Kabu, at the least, would certainly become quite a lot more awkward.

While the group discusses Nessa’s likely new title - plus her photoshoot with Missy for Galar Magazine - Ros approaches, paper and pad in hand. She gets everyone’s drink order, then checks in to see if anyone’s ready to put their food order in, too.

“We haven’t really let these three look at their menus yet,” Onyx laughs.

“You bunch of chatterboxes,” Ros teases with a wink. “In all seriousness, though, take your time. I’ll be back in a few with your drinks.”

Kana pulls the menus out of their designated stand near where Gizmo and Alva rest, then passes them around to the group.

“Nessa tells me you all come here often,” Kabu says, peering over his menu and letting his eyes sweep across Missy, Onyx, and, finally, Kana, where they settle for a moment. “What would you recommend?”

“The Motostoke Monster pizza is pretty good,” Onyx offers. “It’s loaded with literally almost everything. Can’t go wrong there.”

“Yeah, the Monster is pretty good,” Missy agrees. “I’m a fan of the margherita, too. It’s a classic, and they do it really well here.”

Kana stays quiet, hoping that’ll be enough to answer Kabu’s question. But his eyes move back to her, and she can make out just the slightest bit of curiosity in his expression.

“Do you have a favorite dish here, Kana?” He asks gently.

“Well,” Kana says, ducking her head a little behind her menu. “I do - but it’s not exactly popular with most people, so -”

“Yeah, this dork actually likes Pinap Berry on pizza,” Onyx laughs, bumping his shoulder against hers playfully.

“It’s a valid topping,” Kana says, barely able to keep herself from laughing. She’s sure she’s blushing up a storm, to boot; no matter how many times her friends tease her about this, they still manage to get a rise from her.

“It definitely is not,” Missy teases her. “Even with six of us here, you’re probably the only person who likes that.”

“Actually,” Kabu admits, a small smile on his lips. “I’m quite the fan of Pinap Berry on pizza, too.”

“Wait, really?” Kana asks, half - expecting him to reveal that he was just teasing her, the way her two best friends certainly would. But Kabu is apparently perfectly serious; he smiles and nods.

“Really.”

“Oh no,” Nessa sighs. “There’s two of them, now.”

“Nessa!” Milo chides her playfully.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met someone else who likes Pinap Berry on pizza,” Kana laughs, setting her menu down. “Or, at least, not someone who would admit to it in front of these two,” she adds, gesturing to Missy and Onyx.

“I know what you mean - I haven’t found anyone who would admit to it around these two, either,” Kabu laughs, gesturing to Nessa and Milo. “Would you want to split a small sized Alolan pizza with me? I’m assuming the rest of the group doesn’t want any -”

“ _No_ ,” four people chorus in unison. Kana laughs in earnest as she turns from the rest of the group back to look at Kabu. He’s turning to her at the same time, a small smile on his lips and a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

“That would be great, actually,” Kana smiles, unable to keep her foot from bobbing happily under the table. “I haven’t had an Alolan pizza in forever.”

“I haven’t either - I’m always shamed into something else,” Kabu laughs.

“It’s for your own good,” Nessa teases, and the whole table dissolves into good-natured chuckles. Soon, the rest of the group are planning out their food - Onyx and Milo decide to split a large Motostoke Monster (which is a good idea, Kana figures, considering that Onyx had once nearly polished off an entire medium Monster on his own) and Nessa and Missy settle on the margherita.

Ros comes back with their drinks and takes their orders, then leaves. The conversation is started up this time by Milo, asking Onyx what he did for a living.

“I’m a cameraperson for the Channel Five News,” Onyx explains. “I do some freelance photography work on the side, too.”

“Oh, that’s cool!” Milo smiles. “You must see some pretty interesting things in that line of work.”

“Sometimes it’s a lot of studio work, but they’ve been sending me out in the field more often lately, which can definitely be interesting,” Onyx agrees. “Just yesterday I was on site of that big Pokemon attack, filming an interview with the Police Chief - it was absolutely insane to see everything that went down there!”

“I’m sure it was,” Milo agrees, then turns to Kabu. “It looked like a really vicious battle.”

Kabu’s eyebrows furrow just the slightest bit, the concentration lines in his forehead deepening.

“Vicious is the right word for it,” he says, one of his hands drifting towards the bandages on his forehead. The thought crosses Kana’s mind for the first time that he very well might have stitches underneath the dressings. Then, he shakes his head and sets his hand back down, summoning up a smile. “I’m just glad everyone came out of it in one piece. And I’m very impressed with the police response to the issue, as well! I saw quite a few patrols from multiple cities while I was out on my run.”

“Yeah, I saw a lot of patrols out, too,” Kana agrees. “Seems like every nearby police force was called in, between Hammerlocke, Motostoke, Hulbury - I even saw an Interpol vehicle.”

“Is that so?” Kabu asks, his eyebrows raising in slight surprise. “Well - I’m glad they’re getting involved. Hopefully this is just a one-off event, but it’s best to have their highly trained eyes on this, all the same.”

“Mm,” Missy hums, taking a sip of her pink Lemonade. “It is kind of reassuring to know that an agency as big as Interpol is keeping an eye on things.”

“Yes, it certainly is,” Kabu nods. “I’ve worked with them on some issues Motostoke has faced in the past, and they’ve always struck me as a very competent organization.”

“That’s good to hear,” Kana admits. “I’ve been a bit nervous about going out and training, in all honesty.”

“I don’t blame you,” Kabu sighs. “I’ve been nervous, too. Both for myself and for you, as you know.” His grey eyes are kind as he looks at her, and Kana can’t help but smile; his concern for her is touching. 

“Honestly, Kabu,” Nessa sighs, leaning in. “We’ve been worried about you, too, you know. I can’t believe you actually went out there today. You should have rested. You’ve been _hurt._ ”

“A head wound is nothing to take lightly,” Milo agrees, and Kana can see concern and care, plain as day, in the man’s expression. Even under Nessa’s irritated exterior, Kana can tell there’s a deep concern for Kabu, lurking just under the surface.

The two of them clearly love him a lot.

“I’m doing all right,” Kabu reassures them mildly. “Besides - it’s at least partially my duty to be out there. Gym Leaders are meant to protect their cities, after all, and Motostoke’s location right on the border of the Wild Area means that the city is best protected if I have my finger on what’s going on out there.”

“The city is best protected if you’re at 100%,” Nessa says firmly, but there’s a gentle undertone to her voice, and she lets the subject drop as another comes up.

Kana still has a thousand things she wants to ask Kabu, but she knows now isn’t the time or the place. Ultimately, she wants to reassure herself that the Pokemon out there can’t possibly be the same one she had encountered once, long ago. But, she tells herself, even the thought that it could be the same monster is preposterous.

Isn’t it?

Though, in some ways, the charge in the air had felt similar…

Kana dismisses the thought and focuses on the conversation at hand.

The group chats amicably until the pizza comes, an air of familiarity beginning to settle between all parties. Once the pizza does arrive, there’s a bit more teasing of Kana and Kabu about their choice of topping, but they wave their friends’ playful harassment off. Truthfully, the Alolan pizza looks and smells incredible; Kana eagerly reaches out to take a slice - and instead, manages to bump into Kabu’s hand as he reaches for a piece of pizza, too.

“Oh - sorry,” Kabu laughs, pulling his hand back as Kana pulls hers back, too.

“No, no, you’re fine, I should be the sorry one,” Kana says, but Kabu waves her off, his grey eyes kind and warm.

“Nonsense. Ladies first,” he insists, gesturing to the pizza with a slight smile still pulling at his lips.

“Well - all right,” Kana says, reaching down to select her piece. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Kabu replies, waiting for her to pry her cheesy piece free before taking one of his own. Kana takes a bite, closing her eyes and savoring the taste of the Pinap berry.

Delicious.

“Is it good?” Kabu asks her; when she opens her eyes, she realizes he’s smiling at her, amused.

“Very good,” Kana agrees with a smile of her own. “You’re gonna love it.”

“I’m sure I am,” Kabu says, then takes a bite himself. He nods as he chews, his eyes also fluttering closed a moment. “Mm,” he says when he’s done with his bite. “It _is_ very good. I’ve missed this a lot.”

Kana blinks in surprise a moment, marveling once more that this is, apparently,the same person who’s hyped up to the entirety of Galar for being fierce, stern, and intimidating. Although Kana’s sure he has those qualities on the battlefield, in everyday life, she’s finding him to be kind, funny, and thoughtful.

Before Kana can respond to him, though, Nessa’s phone begins to ring.

“Zzzonia is calling!” Her Rotom announces, flying out of her pocket.

“Sonia?” Nessa says, her brows furrowing. It takes Kana a moment to place the name, but after a beat, she remembers Missy mentioning Sonia being one of Nessa’s closest friends - and the granddaughter of Professor Magnolia. “I’m going to take this real quick, just in case something’s wrong,” Nessa tells the group, then quickly swipes to accept the call, standing and stepping away from the table.

“Hey, Nessa,” Sonia greets her; although Kana can’t see the video call at this angle, she can hear everything clearly. Nessa hasn’t gone far.

“Hey, back at you, Sonia,” Nessa says. “What’s up?”

“Oh - I just had a question for you. Have I caught you at a bad time?”

“Well, I’m out to lunch with Milo and Kabu, plus Missy and two of her friends,” Nessa explains, glancing sidelong back to the table. Kana watches her out of the corner of her eye, but otherwise returns to eating her pizza, savoring each bite. A quick glance over to Kabu tells her he’s doing the same; their eyes meet for a moment, and Kana’s lips quirk up just the tiniest bit at the sight of her fellow Alolan pizza lover, enjoying his food. Across from her, Kabu’s lips do the same.

Cute.

The thought races through Kana’s mind so fast, she barely even realizes she’s thought it until she’s suddenly blushing, ducking her head and very nearly choking on her food. Fortunately, distraction comes in the form of Sonia’s next words.

“Wait - did you say you’ve got Kabu with you?” She asks. The man across the table from Kana turns towards the call at the mention of his name, leaving Kana to recover from her unexpected thought in peace. “Can you put him on the phone for me quickly?”

“Sonia, he’s kind of eating right now,” Nessa frowns.

“It’s important,” Sonia insists. “I’ve been helping Grandmum with some research into what happened in the Wild Area, and I have some questions for him. They’ll be quick -”

“Sooonniaaa,” Nessa protests, but Kabu sets his pizza down, standing.

“That’s all right, Nessa. Sonia, if your grandmother’s research is something that can help Motostoke - and Galar - I’d be happy to answer your questions,” he says.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Kabu!” Sonia exclaims.

“Just Kabu will do fine, thank you,” he chuckles.

Nessa says something quietly to Kabu - Kana can’t quite make it out, but it sounds like “don’t burn yourself out, okay? It’s okay if you want to have a meal in peace.”

Kana can’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for the man. When she thinks about it, he’s likely been incredibly busy, between the battle against the Pokemon, getting medical attention, dealing with the media, conducting his own training, and keeping up with his Gym Trainers. Just the media alone can be enough to drain Kana on the best of days; she can’t imagine how much worse the crush must be on him given the current circumstances.

“I’ll try to keep things brief - I don’t want to keep you from your meal,” Sonia says. “But I was wondering if you could please describe the Pokemon you fought against yesterday? I’m not sure that there’s been a comprehensive firsthand description given yet, and it could be really helpful to Grandmum if there is.”

“I can certainly do my best,” Kabu agrees, taking a few steps further away from the group to be polite. At this distance, Kana can barely hear him, especially as conversation at the table starts up again, with Missy asking Nessa if everything was all right. But Kana strains her ears, doing her best to listen in. She knows it’s rude - but she needs to reassure herself that what had happened yesterday had no connection to what she’d experienced, long ago. “As I said earlier, it was difficult for me to get a good view of the Pokemon attacking me. It was not Dynamaxed, and it was incredibly fast.”

“He’s always the sort to keep working, even when he’s exhausted,” Nessa is griping; Kana struggles to focus on Kabu’s voice.

“It was capable of flight, and not just for short distances, either,” he’s saying. Kana’s heart pounds at his words before she reminds herself that that didn’t mean anything. Plenty of Pokemon could fly; the fact that the monster that had attacked her ten years ago could fly, too, isn’t conclusive proof of anything. “As I mentioned, it seemed to utilize both electric and dark type attacks at once. I’m a bit fuzzy on the color of it, in all honesty. It didn’t appear to be terribly large, but it seemed to be surrounded by a ball of what I can only assume to be electricity at all times. Though electricity might not be the right word - I’m not sure what I should call it, though..” Kabu trails off.

“Plasma,” Kana calls over to him, feeling her heart hammering so hard, she can feel it in her throat. “Would you say it was plasma?”

Kabu turns at her words, blinking in surprise for a moment.

“Yes, I suppose plasma would be an accurate word for it,” he admits.

Fuck.

Kana forces herself to think back to that day, dredging up the details of the attack she’d suffered, searching for anything more specific that might conclusively point to them being the same Pokemon - or not.

“Did it plug itself into the ground, almost like it was recharging, now and then?” Kana asks.

“It…did,” Kabu says slowly, his eyebrows furrowing deeply.

“And did the air crackle with thunder when it moved?” Kana presses, feeling her mouth going dry.

“Yes,” Kabu says, his concentration lines in his forehead growing still more pronounced as he turns and walks back over to her, with Nessa’s Rotom Phone following in his wake. A hush has fallen across their table - across the whole restaurant, it seems. “Kana, what’s going on? Did you see this Pokemon?”

“Yes,” Kana says. “I think I did. Ten years ago.”


	4. Confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well - after taking some time off over the holidays to celebrate (at home in quarantine, don't worry!), I'm finally back with the follow up to last chapter's cliffhanger! Some more about Kana's past encounter with that mysterious Pokemon is about to be revealed...
> 
> I've also started doing cover art for this fic, so this chapter will be the first one to have an accompanying cover piece to go with it! I'm not sure that every chapter will get one, but hopefully a few will :)
> 
> Also thank you to everyone leaving kudos and comments...I cannot tell you how much they mean to me, my dear readers <33

“Ten years ago?” Kabu repeats, standing behind his chair.

“Yeah,” Kana breathes, carding one hand through her blonde hair and bangs. When she speaks, she finds that it takes effort to keep her voice steady. “I - I didn’t think it could possibly be the same Pokemon. I saw it all the way back in Kanto, after all.” Even as she says the words, she feels ridiculous. She’s probably just traumatized, seeing connections that aren’t there; her face begins to burn in embarrassment, and she drops her gaze from Kabu’s, twisting a lock of her hair anxiously. Hastily, she adds, “Not that there’s any proof that it _is_ the same thing, either, though. A lot of Electric-type Pokemon could potentially fit the bill - and for a Pokemon to travel all the way from Kanto to Galar -”

“What you’ve described seems awfully similar to what I saw, Kana,” Kabu interrupts, and though his voice is firm and deep, there’s a gentle quality to it, too. “Don’t write yourself off. To know about how it plugged itself into the ground - that’s too specific to have guessed.”

“It is,” Sonia says on the other end of the video call; on Nessa’s phone screen, Kana catches sight of a redheaded young woman, tapping a pencil to her lips thoughtfully. “Your name is Kana - did I hear that right?”

“Yeah,” Kana says, still feeling her cheeks burning - though a little less so, thanks to Kabu’s reassurance.

“Well, Kana, I have to say, I agree with Kabu. What you’ve asked him about the Pokemon that attacked is too specific. It does make me think there’s a connection between what you saw ten years ago - in Kanto, you said? - and what happened yesterday,” Sonia says, taking a couple notes on a pad of paper. She raises her eyes back to the camera after a moment, and adds, “I hate to do this, but could the both of you come down to the Pokemon Lab in Wedgehurst as soon as possible? I’d like to interview you about your experiences - and Grandmum probably will want to be here for the interview, too.”

Kabu and Kana are both silent for a moment, their eyes meeting. Being interviewed by the Pokemon Professor herself is a very big deal - and something Kana can’t turn down, especially if it means possibly helping to make the Wild Area safe again.

“Well,” Kabu finally says. “Do you have anything else to do today?”

“Not really,” is all Kana can think to say in reply.

* * *

The rest of the meal is a bit of a blur; Kana’s mind is going a mile a minute. Still, although she and Kabu both get a few questions from their curious friends, the rest of the group is polite enough not to linger on the topic forever. Nessa, in particular, steers the conversation away from them and back to Sonia, who is reportedly trying to decide if she wants to become successor to the Pokemon Professor title or not.

“She seems like she’d be pretty good at it,” Onyx offers.

As the meal winds down, Kabu glances to Kana.

“I’m going to go ahead and call a Corviknight Taxi to Wedgehurst,” he says, keeping his voice relatively quiet while the rest of the group chatters away. “Are you okay to leave once we finish up here? Ah - assuming you want to travel together, that is,” he adds.

“I’d feel better if we went together, if that’s all right by you, too,” Kana admits. The thought of flying alone to Wedgehurst - over the Wild Area - makes her stomach twist, despite the fact that she’d just been riding through the Wild Area that very morning. “But yeah - I’m free to leave whenever you are.”

“Sounds like a plan, then,” Kabu nods. “I’ll be right back.” He stands, pushing his chair back and pulling his Rotom Phone out of the pocket of his tan pants. When Nessa gives him an inquisitive glance, he holds up his phone. She seems to understand, nodding and returning to the conversation while Kabu steps away, heading to the front of the restaurant.

While Kabu’s away, Ros returns, taking away their plates, then returning and handing out the checks, one for each of the pizzas. But when one doesn’t come to Kana, she frowns, speaking up.

“Ros, what about the Alolan pizza?”

“Your friend paid for that for the both of you already,” she smiles, collecting the remaining bills and smiling as she heads back to the front of the restaurant.

Kana’s a little dumbstruck for the moment, but Nessa just laughs.

“What a Kabu thing to do.”

“It really is, isn’t it?” Milo agrees, chuckling and shaking his head.

Apparently this sort of gentlemanly courtesy was common for him, then. It’s sweet of him, but still, Kana makes a mental note to offer to pay her half when she gets a chance.

Soon, Ros returns, handing out the receipts, and Kabu returns to the table, as well.

“We’ll have a taxi here in five,” he smiles.

“Thank you,” Kana says, unable to resist a small smile back at him. She’s about to thank him for paying the bill, too, but Onyx stands beside her, frowning down at his phone.

“Oh, wow, I’ve got to get heading out. It’s almost four o’clock - I’ve got to go to the studio to get set up for the evening newscast,” he realizes. 

“Yeah, it’s about time for me to get heading back to Turfield, too,” Milo agrees, also rising to his feet. Soon, everyone is standing, shouldering their bags and murmuring about where they had to head off to.

“Kana, I’ll meet you at home when you’re back from Wedgehurst?” Missy asks as the group begin to move towards the door.

“Sounds good,” Kana agrees.

“Text us when you’re there safely, yeah?” Onyx asks, throwing a friendly arm around her shoulders and pulling her into his side.

“Gizmo’s on it, I’m sure,” Kana laughs, hugging Onyx in return.

“You know it!” Gizmo agrees.

Soon, Nessa’s pushing open the door, and everyone filters out. The brilliance of the sun above is blinding; the contrast of the fiercely blue sky against the redstone of Motostoke is so outstandingly radiant, it almost seems impossible to imagine that anything malevolent could be lurking just outside the city walls.

And yet, the man standing beside her, his hair falling just right to let her see the bandages on his head, is living proof that something is, in fact, very much out there.

Kana says her see-you-soons to Missy and Onyx, plus her nice-to-meet-yous to Milo and Nessa. Just before everyone drifts away, though, Missy slips back to Kana, pulling her into a hug.

“Hey, what’s up?” Kana laughs, holding her friend in return.

“I just - are you doing okay?” She asks. “With all of this, I mean? It’s a lot,” she explains, and though she looks like there’s more she wants to say, she falls silent. Only her brilliant lavender eyes speak of the care and concern she feels for her friend.

“It is a lot,” Kana admits quietly, glancing over to Kabu, who’s very politely doing his best to act like he’s not able to hear everything. “But I’ll be all right.”

“Okay,” Missy agrees. “I’ll see you soon. Call me if you need me.” She hugs Kana once more, squeezing her tight - and then lets go, hurrying after Onyx. 

In the end, Kana’s left standing just outside Pancham’s Pizzas with Kabu.

“Missy and Onyx seem like good folks,” he smiles, setting his hands in his pants pockets. He lets his shoulders raise up a little as he leans against the brick wall of the building behind him, and Kana wonders if he’s chilly, despite the maroon sweater he’s wearing.

“They are,” Kana smiles. “I’ve known them both for nearly as long as I’ve lived in Galar. Nessa and Milo seem like great people, too.”

“They are,” Kabu says in return, his eyes softening as he thinks about his friends. “Funnily enough, I’ve known them nearly as long as I’ve been in Galar, too.”

“Really?” Kana says, laughing a little.

“Yeah. They were so little back then - it blows my mind to think that they’ve become Gym Leaders in their own right,” he smiles, then turns his gaze skyward as a large shadow sweeps over them. Kana does the same, catching sight of a Corviknight Taxi, coming in for a landing. “Looks like that’s our ride,” Kabu says, straightening up. As the Taxi lands carefully on the street, Kana reaches into her pocket for her wallet; she can pay the fare, she figures, and whatever she owes Kabu for the pizza.

Kabu catches sight of what she’s doing, though, and his eyebrows furrow slightly.

“I’ve got the cab fare,” he says, taking his wallet out.

“Nonsense. I can pay it - and I still owe you for the pizza. How much did it come to?” Kana asks, but Kabu shakes his head firmly.

“You don’t owe me anything. I’m more than glad to pay for the pleasure of enjoying good food with good company. And I can probably get the Pokemon League to reimburse me for the ride to Wedgehurst, so really, Kana, I insist,” he says, his tone gentle but firm enough to leave no room for argument.

“All right,” Kana agrees, beginning to step towards the now-grounded Taxi. “But I owe you one,” she adds.

Before Kabu can protest, the Corviknight Taxi driver greets them.

“Two tickets to Wedgehurst, am I correct?” He smiles, raising one hand in greeting.

“You are,” Kabu agrees. To Kana’s surprise, though, instead of going straight to the cabbie, he pauses by the door, opening it - and gesturing for her to enter.

Kana’s almost confused for a moment, uncertain what to do. When she realizes that she’s meant to take a seat - that Kabu had opened the door to be polite to her - she squeaks out a quiet “thank you” and hurries inside.

Kabu closes the door for her, then chats with the cabbie a moment and pays the fare. Kana buckles in, glancing down at her outfit. If she’d known she’d be spending all day with Kabu - and getting interviewed by the Pokemon Professor herself - she might have chosen something a bit more professional looking. As it is, she’s picked out a plain white long-sleeved, form-fitting shirt with quite a bit of a v-neck, and jeans with holes at the knees.

Not exactly what she would want Professor Magnolia to remember her by, but it would have to do.

Kabu slips into the taxi through the other door, taking his seat opposite her and buckling in, as well. In the enclosed space, Kana’s aware of the faint scent of musky cologne lingering on him; she must not have been able to smell it earlier in Pancham’s, thanks to all the food. But it’s a pleasant smell nonetheless.

Kana doesn’t have time to linger on this thought for long, though, because within moments, the taxi jolts back and forth, rocking as Corviknight begins to beat its enormous wings, lifting them all into the air.

Takeoff always leaves Kana tense, and right now is no exception. She grips her own knees tightly, waiting for the violent rocking to ebb; she’s feeling increasingly nauseous. Kana frowns at the realization; she’s not typically one to get motion sick.

“Are you all right?” Kabu asks, and though his voice is kind, Kana kicks herself mentally yet again.

Just what she needs - to look so obviously sick that her travelling partner is probably worried about having to smell puke for the rest of the ride.

“Yeah,” Kana insists, then feels a spike of panic rise in her stomach as her mouth grows unusually dry. It takes her a moment to realize where the feeling is coming from, but finally, she realizes it’s not just the movement making her feel this way.

Every beat of Corviknight’s wings is taking her closer to Wedgehurst, closer to Sonia and her Grandmother - and, inevitably, closer to talking about the single worst day of her life.

When was the last time she had told anybody about it?

“It’s just - you look a little green,” Kabu says, pulling her out of her thoughts. “And you looked rather pale earlier, when you were talking to Sonia. Not that I mean to be rude, or pry -”

“No - it’s all right,” Kana interrupts, shaking her head and taking a deep breath to steady herself. If she’s this anxious about having to open up about that day, she might as well get it out of the way, cross that bridge now rather than let the anticipation build and make her sick with worry. “It’s just…” Kana begins, then finds herself choking up a little. 

How annoying.

“If it’s not something you want to talk about, that’s all right,” Kabu says sofly, reaching out and setting one gentle hand on her shoulder. “I don’t want to upset you more.”

“I’m going to have to talk about this anyway, if I’m going to tell Sonia and Professor Magnolia,” Kana says, more for her benefit than for Kabu’s.

“About the Pokemon - or whatever it is - that attacked you years ago?” Kabu asks perceptively.

Kana nods.

Only one way forward, now. She opens her mouth and starts talking.

“It almost killed me. I thought I was stronger than I really was, just because I’d had some success in the Kanto and Johto leagues. So when news came out that there was some uber-strong Pokemon in the Kanto Power Plant that was causing region-wide power outages, I thought I should go over and do my part to help out.” Kana finds it hard to say the words out loud; she’d been foolish to think that just because she had seven badges in each, that she could be worth anything against a force of nature like that Pokemon.

It had even been rumored to be a Legendary, and still, she’d gone in.

What had she been expecting?

“It sounds like you found the Pokemon, then,” Kabu says, his tone soft, though it’s obvious he’s prompting her to continue.

“Yeah. It…it would have been better for me if I didn’t,” Kana admits. “It was…eating the electricity generated by the Power Plant, I guess, to power itself up. I didn’t stand a chance - and it didn’t help that there were other people who came after me who wanted the Pokemon for themselves.”

Kana doesn’t feel real as she says the words aloud. She’s not here, in this Taxi - she’s back on the rocky island that houses the Kanto Power Plant, standing underneath a roiling, stormy sky. Arcs of electricity in bizarre colors - yellow and blue and green - flash from wire to wire of the Plant itself, carving slices out of the sky and illuminating the enormous steel superstructures that jut out of the ground.

Behind her, the ocean beats the rocks of the shore, the crashing of the waves themselves as loud as thunder. And in front of her, a monster flies through the air, cloaked in utterly unnatural plasma and moving almost faster than her eye can track.

Three or four silhouettes appear at her side - Trainers, but none that she knows; she can’t even make out any of their features in the dim light of the evening, made all the dimmer by the storm.

“I think most of the other people who came after that Pokemon were working together,” Kana says, and though she moves her hand to grip the armrest of the Corviknight Taxi, she’s neither here nor there. She’s trapped, paralyzed in a liminal space, living in both places and neither at once. “They brought out their Pokemon.” She watches as three, four, then five enormous Pokemon are brought out of their Pokeballs - a Nidoking, a Golbat, a Sandslash are all she remembers. Beside her, Kabu stays silent, though the waves of the ocean roar in her mind. “I thought they were going to help me fight that thing. It flew through the air and it was so fast, so powerful - it was bringing entire parts of the Power Plant down.” Kana remembers watching, horrified, as the steel had melted under the plasma the Pokemon cloaked itself in, superstructure after superstructure toppling and sending wires whipping through the sky. As they landed, then writhed, on the ground, the air literally vibrated with the power of the voltage they had unleashed. Beside her, the unknown Trainers turn to her. “But once their Pokemon were out, they turned their Pokemon on _me._ ”

“What?” Kabu asks sharply, and Kana’s in the taxi again, squeezing the leather beneath the window so tightly that her knuckles are blanching. “They attacked your Pokemon? Were they confused?”

“No,” Kana says, forcing herself to focus on where she’s at, the here and now. If she lets herself relive any more, she’ll be useless when Magnolia wants to hear her testimony. “They attacked _me_. Me, the Trainer. Their Trainers told them to.” Despite herself, she remember the slight confusion on that Nidoking’s face at being told to attack a human being. It had persisted only for a moment, though, before the Trainer had called out its order again. 

None of her Pokemon could make it to her in time to stop the beast.

“That’s against every League’s code of conduct. Every Region counts a deliberate attack on a human being as a felony,” Kabu says, his voice tipping the scales once more just enough to pull her back to the present.

“They beat me and left me for dead,” Kana says, vaguely aware of how flat her voice sounds. Unconsciously, her hand drifts towards her left shoulder, where an enormous scar from the Nidoking’s horn impaling her crosses her skin. “I was in the hospital for about four months after….had to get a couple operations and everything.”

Kabu is silent a long moment, giving her the space to say what she needs to say. Kana shakes her head, clearing the old memory as best as she can, and trying to relax her body. Her thighs, she’s only just realized, are trembling slightly.

“I don’t know what happened to the Pokemon that nearly brought down the Power Plant,” Kana continues. “I don’t know if any of those people got it - or if it escaped. But if it is the same Pokemon, I can assure you that if it gets the right source of energy, it could bring down entire cities.”

A heavy silence fills the space between Kabu and Kana, the only noise the sound of Kabu drawing in a breath through his nose, then letting it out again.

“I believe you, Kana,” he finally says. “And I promise you - I’ll do everything in my power to keep that from happening. Everyone will.” 

Kana turns to look at him, meeting his gaze. His eyes flare with intensity, the burning ferocity of his spirit searing through. He’s nicknamed the Ever-Burning Man of Fire for a reason, she realizes - and he’s the only person she knows of, to date, who has faced that monster alone and come out nearly unscathed.

All the same, she can only nod, feeling a thick lump in her throat build up. As much as she’s certain that Kabu will stay true to his word, she can’t help but wonder if even his best efforts will prove to be enough.


	5. Confessions, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy February, everyone, and huge thank you to everyone who's been reading this - and who keeps reading it, even after I haven't updated in a little while! I'm actually a bit ahead of myself on this fic finally, so I hope to post more regularly going forward.

A tense silence hangs between Kabu and Kana for a long moment.

“I’m assuming this means that the Galar police will need to hear from me,” Kana finally says.

“Interpol, too,” Kabu confirms solemnly. 

Hearing this starts another round of butterflies in Kana’s stomach as she considers that she may very well have to retell her story, again and again, possibly while being interrogated on every last detail that she can remember.

She’d done it once before, to a man scarcely older than her in a long, brown trenchcoat. That had been awful enough; having to do it again sounds intolerable.

“Kana,” Kabu says gently, pulling her out of her thoughts again. “I - I can’t even imagine what you’ve been through. I’m so sorry to hear that that happened to you.”

“It’s my own fault,” Kana sighs. Although she often asked herself why she’d done it - what she’d expected - she knows the reason fully well. “I thought I was special - like those chosen kids you hear about now and then, the ones that the Legendaries opt to work with.”

“Like in the Kalos incident,” Kabu offers, and Kana shudders, remembering the recent story of how a fifteen year old had stopped Yveltal’s death energy from being released upon the world.

“Exactly,” Kana agrees. The Kalos incident hadn’t been the first of its kind; there had been others, in Hoenn, in Unova, even going back before Kana had been born. Based on the Darkest Day legend, she can only assume that Legendaries choosing their Trainers is a story as old as time itself.

“How old were you?” Kabu asks suddenly, frowning at her.

“I was sixteen,” Kana answers.

Kabu sighs, sitting back and running one hand through his soft, dark grey hair.

“Sixteen. You were a child,” he murmurs, shaking his head. “Everything about this is appalling. A group of Trainers - adults, it sounds like - beating a child and leaving them for dead….Were they ever caught?”

“Not as far as I know,” Kana says, grimacing. “Interpol got involved in that case, too, but…I couldn’t make out any of their features, so there wasn’t a lot for even their best detectives to go on.”

Kabu’s frown deepens, his eyebrows knitting together and making the concentration lines in his forehead stand out further.

“That’s…disturbing, to say the least,” he says, pressing the edge of his forefinger against his mouth as he shakes his head. “You must have been so frightened. You were so young.”

Kana smiles a bit ruefully at this. Truthfully, she’d been frightened, but mostly, she’d been disillusioned. The Pokemon League had suddenly been transformed from an institution she loved and admired - and desperately wanted to be a part of - into a farce. The League’s rules were made up; if people didn’t want to fight by them, they didn’t have to.

They could just take what they wanted, and apparently never face any consequences for it, if they did it right.

“I was,” Kana says, but doesn’t want to say more. The Galar League is everything to Kabu, from what she can tell. Just because she’s bitter doesn’t mean he needs to be. And besides - at the end of the day, battling within the confines of the League had made him strong enough to face that monster - once, at least. “You must have been frightened, too, yesterday. Taking on something that powerful all alone...and with no warning, either.”

At least she had known, in some sense, exactly what she was getting herself into, Kana considers.

Kabu glances away from her, frowning down at the floor for a moment. Kana notices the way his fingers fidget with one another, his hands clasped together in his lap.

This can’t be easy for him to talk about, either.

“Please keep this between us,” he finally says. “If the Galar media gets wind of this…”

“I won’t say a word,” Kana promises. Kabu raises his eyes to hers again; his inner flame has simmered down considerably, a specific vulnerability coming to light instead.

For a moment, Kana’s certain he’s going to ask her to forget about it and redirect the conversation to something else. They hardly know one another, after all.

And yet, in some ways, it feels like she knows him extremely well.

“I was terrified,” Kabu says, his voice low and quiet. “That Pokemon tore through four of the six members of my team. I’m used to my fellow Gym Leaders managing that with all their training and their full teams - but for one Pokemon to rip through me like that?” He swallows hard, shaking his head. “It’s - it’s unprecedented. And those three people who were injured…”

“You kept them safe, though,” Kana murmurs.

“Yes,” Kabu agrees. “And I’m glad I could help. As Gym Leader, it’s my responsibility to defend the people of Motostoke. But there are so many people out in the Wild Area at any given time. And the area is so huge…what happens the next time there’s an attack? What if something happens to some Trainer - maybe even a child on their Gym Challenge, coming to battle me - and I’m not there?” His voice breaks a little as he glances away, dropping his eyes. “If nobody is there?”

Kana is speechless for a moment; she can once again see the man she’d seen earlier, the Kabu who is small, vulnerable, bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Kana reaches out and puts a hand on one his shoulder, again mirroring his gentle touch to her earlier. He may be weighed down, but his shoulders are strong, both metaphorically and literally; she can feel his toned muscles under her hand.

“That must feel like a terrible burden,” she murmurs. She can’t even imagine.

“It does,” Kabu admits, but summons up a slight smile for her. “Though you’ve done much to ease it by just listening to me. Thank you - though I should apologize, too, for making you listen to the burdens of an old man like me.”

Kana reacts before she can even think.

“You’re not old,” she says with a snort, pulling her hand away. “You’re, what, fifty?”

“Fifty-two,” Kabu replies.

“I’m almost thirty,” Kana shrugs. Really, with the exception of his greying hair, she doesn’t think he looks his age; he’s fit and strong, and though a few lines cross his face, a youthful vigor shines through nonetheless. “You’re not old at all.”

For a moment, another silence hangs between Kana and Kabu. She can’t help but worry she’s put her foot in her mouth yet again; it seems to be her specialty around the Gym Leader, though she has a bit of a hard time figuring out what, exactly, might have sounded rude this time.

“You’re _what_?” Kabu asks, his eyebrows raised high and a light blush coloring his cheeks.

“Almost thirty,” Kana repeats. “Next year, in fact.”

“I - oh,” Kabu stammers, his blush deepening. “ _Oh_. Well - you look very lovely - er, young for your age. I’m sorry, I mean -”

Whatever Kabu had been about to say, it’s cut off by the abrupt jostling of the Corviknight taxi as it touches the ground. Kana turns to look out the window, surprised; she had been so engrossed in her conversation with Kabu, she hadn’t even realized they had begun their descent into Wedgehurst.

An automatic voice chimes on over the taxi’s PA system, announcing that the vehicle had landed and it was now safe to open the doors and disembark.

Kana unbuckles herself while Kabu does the same; when she steals a glance up at him, she sees that he’s still blushing fiercely.

Had he really called her lovely?

And, Kana considers as she steps out of the taxi, is her heart really beating a little faster at the thought?

“Pretty easy ride over, all things considered,” the cab driver announces, stepping out of the cab as well. “Would you both agree?”

“Certainly,” Kabu agrees, rounding the cab while Kana closes her door.

“It was a very nice flight,” Kana agrees politely, unable to stop her eyes from flitting over to Kabu. It _had_ been a nice flight, and not only thanks to the cabbie and his Corviknight; to Kana’s surprise, she finds herself thinking that Kabu’s company - and his understanding and kindness - had made the whole ride over significantly more pleasant.

Perhaps more surprising, though, is the way that she catches Kabu’s gaze darting over to her. The two accidentally make eye contact while the cabbie is saying something about his trusty Coriknight - and glance away from one another just as quickly.

“He seems like a very reliable companion,” Kabu compliments the Corviknight after a beat. The enormous bird caws and rustles his wings in thanks.

“He is,” the cabbie laughs, tossing his Pokemon a treat; the Corviknight catches it easily in his beak, which, Kana realizes, is likely bigger than her head. “Do you both need me to stick around, or…?”

“I think we’ll be here a while,” Kana says; Kabu nods in agreement.

“I’ll call for a return trip when we’re done, but I can’t say I know for sure when that will be.”

“Sounds like a plan,” the cabbie says, opening his door to get back in the taxi. Then, he pauses, turning back to the both of them and adding, “Hey, before I go - I wanted to say good luck to the both of you. I’m from Motostoke, you know, so I'm looking forward to seeing both the Gym Challenge season and the Wild Area Open. I’m rooting for the two of you.”

Kana can’t help but feel a goofy smile spread across her face; having people support her feels… _incredible_. After years of work, it’s everything she’s ever hoped for.

“Thank you,” Kana beams.

“Yes, thank you - that means a lot, and we’ll both do our best to make you proud,” Kabu says with an easy smile. Kana mentally takes note of his phrasing - he’s been doing this much longer than her, and sounds so much more put together.

“I’m sure you will,” the cabbie says, clambering back in his taxi. “You know, it’s funny - I didn’t even know that the two of you really _knew_ each other, or anything. But seeing you both chatting back there, you seem like pretty good friends.”

“Oh - well - you could say we get along,” Kabu says, sending a small smile Kana’s way.

Kana can’t help but smile back at Kabu.

“Well - I might catch you both later!” The cabbie calls, closing his door then rolling down his window. He waves farewell as the Corviknight’s wings spread wide, then calls, “Take care!”

The Corviknight begins to beat the air, the force of the gust it creates very nearly sending Kana stumbling back. Soon, the Taxi rises into the air, and Kana and Kabu are left on the wide cobblestone streets of Wedgehurst.

“Well - shall we?” Kabu asks.

“Let’s,” Kana agrees with a nod, swallowing down the faint anxiousness in her stomach.

The two of them begin walking together down the streets of Wedgehurst, heading towards a beautiful chalet-style building with dark brown trim and a roof that rises above the other cottages of the town. They don’t speak, but the silence isn’t awkward between them, somehow. It feels comfortable, and allows Kana to enjoy the chirping of the Rookidee and the fresh smells of the countryside while they stroll.

Before they reach the building, though, Kabu slows his pace, hands in his pockets as he turns to Kana.

“Are you ready for this?” He asks.

Kana swallows and nods.

“Yeah. I am. Talking to you about it earlier helped a lot,” she admits. “You’re the first person I’ve told everything to since Missy and Onyx, actually.”

Kabu’s eyebrows raise the slightest bit, his gaze softening.

“Really? Well,” he says, the corner of his lips twitching up the slightest bit. “I’m honored. Thank you for trusting me with your story.”

“Thanks for being a good listener,” Kana returns, smiling a little herself. Her heart is beginning to pound again, to be sure, but she doesn’t feel nearly as unwell as she’d felt in the Corviknight Taxi.

And, if she’s honest, she’s not sure if it’s because she’s nervous about talking to Professor Magnolia.

“It’s my pleasure,” Kabu says gently, and Kana can’t help but feel that he really means it. Then, just outside the lab doors, he pauses in his tracks, and Kana does the same. “Listen - I know Sonia and Professor Magnolia will likely have a lot of questions for you. If it starts to feel like too much, just let me know, okay? I know we don’t know each other well, but -"

Before Kabu can continue - or Kana can respond - a redheaded young woman bursts out the door, greeting them both.

“Grandmum thought she saw the two of you outside,” she smiles. “I’m Sonia. Come on in.”


End file.
